Something More
by PencilHeart
Summary: COMPLETE! A series of drabbles/ficlets concerning the romantic relationship dangling between Castle and Beckett. Because the tension between them is very obvious. Caskett
1. Lollipop fest

**Something More**

by PencilHeart

(aka: honda)

_A.N:_ This fic is going to be just a bunch of different drabbles and oneshots about the relationship between Beckett and Castle. Some will connect, most will not. I just wanted a place to put them all together. And if anyone has any suggestions or ideas about future chapters, please, feel free to add them. My plot bunnies hop in mysteries ways.

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_i. Lollipop fest_

"Please."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Puh-_leeasse_."

Kate threw her case file down hard on her desk and turned to look at Rick. "Castle," she said through gritted teeth, "I am not getting you a lollipop."

"But I hurt myself," said the fully grown man-child perched on the edge of a chair across from her. Rick held up his arm and pointed to a tiny scrape right above his elbow as proof. "See, look."

Kate pretended to look. "What I see is someone who disobeyed my orders –again- and who didn't stay in the car like I asked. _Again_."

"But I had to get out. My stomach was growling and the hot dog stand was _across_ the street. It's not my fault those bicyclists came barreling down at me like James Bond on a mission.

Against her better judgment, Kate found herself fighting back a smile. "You know, there's a phrase that comes to mind whenever you're around."

"Yeah?" Rick raised an eyebrow and grinned, bringing the full effects of his dimples out in force –not that Kate noticed or anything. "Are the words _charming_ and _irresistible _involved?"

"Nope."

He laughed. "Too bad."

Kate went back to filing her case files and for a moment, there was silence in the room. Until Rick spoke again. "So about that lollipop..."

"Castle."

"Beckett," he replied in the same dry tone.

"What would your daughter say if she saw you right now?" asked Kate, finally looking up from her work.

"Alexis?" Rick paused. "She would have gotten me a lollipop."

"For the love of-"

Muttering to herself, Kate pushed away from her desk and got up, walking briskly into the next room. She returned a minute later with a handful of different colored lollipops. "Here," she said, shoving them in Rick's direction. "Take your pick."

"Thanks," said Rick brightly, his eyes lighting up at the multicolored feast in front of him. "Now what color do I want?" He asked himself, putting a finger to his chin as he pondered. "Blue? Red? Green?"

Kate shook her head at his enthusiasm and sat back down. The next few minutes were quiet except for the sound of Kate's fingers moving across the keyboard and slight rustling of paper being unwrapped as Rick dove into his candy. Kate had almost forgotten he was there until a large shadow fell over her.

"Hey."

Kate looked up to see Rick grinning down at her, the remnants of a blue-flavored lollipop in his hand. "Thanks."

He took her by surprise as he bent down and brushed his lips slightly against her cheek. Straightening up he threw her a huge smile. "I feel better already," he said as he winked and stuck the lollipop back into his mouth. Kate turned in her seat to watch him walk out of the room. Unconsciously, she brought her hand up to her cheek, only noticing when her fingers touched wetness. _Damn._

That man did stupid, stupid things to her.


	2. Early morning observations

_ii. Early morning observations_

Martha saw it first.

It was four in the morning. Martha was coming downstairs to get a glass of water when she saw the light in the living room still on, the yellow rays peeking discretely out from under the doorframe and into the hall. She sighed to herself. For the past six days the detectives and her son had been working nonstop on a high profile case involving a man, a white van, and a spree of missing girls. Needless to say, all four were well past the point of exhaustion. And Martha didn't care what they said; people needing sleep were not much help on a case

She pushed the living room door slightly open, ready to announce herself with her usual dramatic flair, when she stopped. From her doorway position she could just barely make out Detective Javier Esposito asleep on the couch, his long legs folded underneath him and his face turned towards the back of the couch. Kevin Ryan was snoring lightly on the opposite end of the couch, the pile of papers spread out on his stomach fluttering with his every breath.

But it was the look on her son's face that made Martha pause.

For Kate Beckett was sound asleep in one of the leather chairs alongside the fireplace. The younger woman had pulled her legs up under her and was turned halfway in the chair, her head propped up against the edge of the chair's back. Her body was partially turned away from the doorway so Martha only had a side view of Kate's face, but she had a perfect view of her son's.

Rick was standing about ten feet away from Kate's chair, his eyes locked on her face as he fiddled with a pile of papers in his hands. Martha caught her breath; she had never seen that expression on her son's face before. Half full of tenderness, half full of longing, Martha felt like a voyeur as she watched him.

She pulled back deeper into the darkness that surrounded her when Rick suddenly turned and looked about the room. Martha wasn't sure what he was doing but she watched as he strolled across the room and picked something up off the settee. Walking back over to Kate, Rick bent down and covered the sleeping woman with a blanket, his hands lingering on her body a fraction of a moment longer then necessary. Rising, a small smile played across his lips as he watched her slumber, completely unaware of his mother's presence.

Unable to tear her gaze away from the tender scene playing out in front of her, Martha watched as Rick stretched and sat down in the empty chair across from Kate. Yawning slightly, he leaned back and relaxed into the seat, his eyes still drinking in the gentle lines of Kate's face.

Without making any noise, Martha backed away from the doorway slowly and turned to head back up the stairs. The glass of water could wait.

* * *

_A.N.:_ Too fluffy? Not enough fluff? Just the right amount? Review and let me know.

And I don't know how many of you are aware but _Castle_, like many of ABC's shows, is in danger of being canceled. For more information to find out what you can do show your support, go here: http://community[dot]livejournal[dot]com/castle_tv/28872[dot]html (Please exchange the [dot] with real dots).


	3. Smile

_iii. smile_

Kate Beckett had not smiled all day.

This was unusual for her. Even though she dealt daily with killers, murderers, psychopaths and any other sort of twisted freak that walked in off the streets, she usually found herself smiling at least once or twice throughout the day. Often, it was at something as simple as a comedic remark Esposito or Ryan made or getting the upper hand in her dealings with Castle but not today.

Kate Beckett was not smiling today

For today they had found the body of a young girl, her hands and feet bound and tied. Her throat split open, the skin on her arms and legs bruised and battered, the underside of her fingernails crusted with dried blood. Kate had to close her eyes to stop the images from flashing through her mind. There had been so much blood…too much blood splattered everywhere....too much blood lying in a puddle on the floor...too much blood from a girl much too young.

Bending over, Kate wrapped her arms around her waist, her body shaking both physically and mentally.

"Detective."

Startled, Kate jumped at the voice coming from behind her but relaxed when Rick Castle came into view.

"You okay?" asked Rick as he sat down across from her. "I saw what happened at the crime scene and I thought...."

"No, it's fine. I'm fine."

Kate busied herself with picking up the papers scattered around her desk, her eyes carefully avoiding Rick's. After a moment though, Rick reached over and gently took the papers away from her and Kate was shocked to realize that her hands were trembling.

"So I was thinking," said Rick lightly, "about getting some food. I've had a hankering for Chinese food all week. Wantons, egg rolls, chicken chop suey, the works. And I realized on my way over here that the place across the street is having a special today, ten egg rolls for only eight dollars. And seeing on how I can't pass up that deal, I was wondering if you wanted to come with.

Kate looked up and met his gaze. "Really?" she asked quietly before she could stop herself.

Rick nodded. "Of course, I can't eat by myself. Imagine the newsreels. Rick Castle, best selling author, eating _alone?_ I do have a reputation to uphold you know," he added teasingly.

Kate held his gaze. Though Rick was smiling impishly and his tone was light, his eyes were sincere. "Okay," Kate said softly, feeling the need to get out of the station, away from the reminders of today, away from the reminders of everything. "Let's go."

And twenty minutes later, in-between a large, steaming hot bowl of egg drop soup and Rick's theatrical re-telling of a friend, a mariachi band and an unsuspecting barnyard animal, Kate found herself smiling for the first time that day.


	4. Dimples

_A.N.:_ This is pointless. Absolutely, positively pointless. My apologizes in advance. But in my defense, this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone.

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_iv. dimples_

Dimples, Kate thinks, are a very dangerous thing.

Especially when worn on the face of Richard Castle.

When he laughs they stretch out across his face in delightful mirth. When he smiles they deepen, accentuating his joy. When he smirks they curve mischievously alongside the sensual line of his mouth. And when he stares at her, his gave traveling slowly from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head –lingering briefly on her mouth, they deepen seductively into his cheeks.

It's a good thing Kate has never been attracted to men with dimples. Otherwise, she thinks, she might be in a very dangerous situation.

"Beckett!"

Kate's head snaps up as Rick rounds the corner, his blue eyes sparkling devilishly as he holds up a wad of papers in his hand. "I found it," he shouts eagerly and Kate can't help but notice the two adorable indentations winking softly in his cheeks.

_Damn._

She's already in too deep.


	5. Little girl blue

_A.N.:_ For **Andria**, who wanted something from Castle's POV. And because I love Alexis' and Castle's relationship on the show and I wanted to pay homage to it. And, in case it is not well known, Nerf Blasters are toy guns that used to shoot ammunition in the form of soft darts or balls and are quite popular for Nerf Wars, which is similar to paintball and laser tag games.

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_v. little girl blue_

Alexis was born six weeks premature.

Rick will never forget how he felt standing there in the NICU, his hours old baby girl hooked up to monitors and sensors, her skin pale and translucent. She looked so tiny and defenseless laying there in an incubator, sensors beeping loudly with every breath she took. Rick hated it.

So he made vow to himself, that his daughter would never be that defenseless again.

He bought her a T-Ball set for her first birthday, never mind the fact that she was just learning how to walk. Her fourth birthday found her the proud owner of very pink, very loud, _very fast_ Barbie car. By the time she was six she had her own collection of squirt guns, each one more powerful then the last.

As Alexis grew, so did the gifts. Rollerblades and scooters gave way to laser tag and fencing. Bicycle rides were replaced by horses. Board games were outdone by retro indoor arcade games.

Meredith didn't understand. As much as she loved their daughter, she couldn't see why Rick was squandering their hard earned money on expensive presents for Alexis when he could have been out buying _her_ things. Even Martha, who adored her granddaughter and spoiled her as well, didn't get Rick's costly extravagance either.

But Kate did.

Rick realized it the day Kate came over with a box of Nerf Blasters in her hands and enough ammunition to last at least half an hour. She lamely explained that the toys were leftover from a surprise raid that the owner never came back and retrieved but Rick saw the receipt peeking briefly out of her purse.

He didn't say anything; he figured Kate had her own reasons but two hours later when he had been defeated not once, not twice but _three times_ by Kate and Alexis (he now knows never to let the two of them team up together again), he can't find it in his heart to get mad at them.

For the tall, laughing, strawberry blonde teenage girl was a far cry from the sickly infant he once held in his arms. And when he captured Alexis in a headlock, hugging her while she continued to tease him loudly, his eyes briefly met Kate's. And that's when he knew.

Kate understood.

It was at that moment that Rick felt something in his heart give way.


	6. Playing games

_A.N:_ Because I love snarky, sarcastic but still sexy as hell Castle, and a Beckett who can give it back as good as she gets it.

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_vi. playing games_

"Castle."

Kate stepped closer to Rick, effortlessly trapping him between her and the wall behind him. "Give it back."

Rick smiled. "No."

Kate let out a small growl of frustration. "Look, Castle. I have a suspect to interrogate in," she checked her watch, "less then five minutes. I don't have time to sit here and play games with you."

"Play games? What kind of games? You know, I like games," His voice lowered seductively as his smile grew into a cheeky grin.

A pair of exasperated but amused eyes flashed up at him. "Give it back Castle. _Now_."

"It wasn't Dean Trigon," said Rick, enjoying the way Kate leaned into him as he slid the file further down his back, away from her prying eyes. "He didn't know anything about the inheritance. If I were you, I'd take a closer look at the doorman. He seemed to have a awfully nice coat for someone who makes their living opening and closing doors."

"Funny," said Kate sarcastically. "I don't recall asking you for your opinion."

"That's okay. I'm not shy."

"Castle!"

Rick chuckled. "You want to know something Detective? One of these days, your face is going to freeze in that position."

Kate narrowed her eyes and took another step forward, her body stopping abruptly in front of his. Stretching herself up slightly, she lifted her face to his, pausing a tantalizing fraction of an inch away. "Really? Well, you want to know something, _Castle_?" her voice purred slightly as she leaned in, Rick could feel her warm breath caressing his face and he fought the urge to smile.

"What?"

"I too, can play games."

Without warning, Rick felt a hand reach behind him and suddenly, the file was torn from his grasp. He looked up to see Kate stepping back from him, a supremely well satisfied grin flashing across her face. Despite himself, Rick felt the beginnings of a smile tug at his lips. "Touché, Detective Beckett. Touché."

Kate nodded her head in acknowledgement, a pleased light in her eyes. Turning around she started to walk away, but stopped, suddenly. Kate looked over her shoulder and regarded Rick with a thoughtful frown. "The doorman you say?"

Rick nodded. "Check out his watch. It's a Rolex."

"Will do. Thanks."

An arrogant grin filled Rick's face as he watched her walk away from him and he couldn't help but add, "Believe me Detective, it was my pleasure."

The image of her face after he said that stayed with him for days.


	7. Body Language

_vii. body language_

Sometimes, body language says a lot more then words.

Esposito is walking behind Beckett and Castle when he first sees it. The two of them are arguing about something and Esposito can see by the look on Beckett's face that she would like nothing more then to throttle Castle, right there on the sidewalk for all of New York to see. And he can see by Castle's face that he is enjoying Beckett's inner turmoil.

But then Esposito notices –either in spite of their argument or maybe because of it- that the two of them are walking in perfect sync. _Right, left. Right, left, right left_. They even round the corner at the same time. He briefly wonders if he should say anything, Beckett will freak out once she realizes it, but then Ryan jogs up to ask him a question and Esposito forgets.

A few days later, he notices it again. This time the team is at Castle's house playing a game of poker and Castle is teasing Beckett about her bad hand. Esposito watches her tease him right back and the two start up their usual bickering.

What is unusual, however, is that the two of them are sitting side by side at the table yet their bodies are turned inward, towards each other. Castle is sitting on Beckett's right and he is leaning to the left, towards her. Beckett is sitting on his left and has twisted her body slightly towards him. No one else at the table seems to notice so Esposito doesn't say anything. Instead, he just chalks it up to another one of those random twists of fate and only mentions it briefly to Ryan in passing the following day.

A month passes. Late one evening Esposito is walking back towards Beckett's desk when he sees Castle at his usual seat in front of it. He's leaning back in the chair with his feet stretched out comfortably and he's tapping a pencil against Beckett's desk. _Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap-tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap-tap_. Beckett is sitting at her desk, her shoulders hunched over slightly and her mouth thinned into a straight line and even at this distance Esposito can tell she's annoyed. The tapping continues. _Tap, tap. Tap, tap-tap_. Then Beckett's hand shoots over and covers Castle's. It's brief, but Esposito notices and his eyes widen in surprise.

Of course, it helps that Beckett doesn't remove her hand right away.

Esposito stops in his tracks and wonders. He wonders not when the rest of the department will see it but when Castle and Beckett finally will.


	8. Distractions

_A.N:_ Somewhat similar to the _dimples_ chapter because, apparently, I like my pointless fluff…….

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_viii. distractions_

Kate Beckett, Rick thinks, is a distraction.

She sits across from him on a brown armchair, her legs tucked up beneath her. Her red hair obscures half her face, which is bowed down over the case files on her lap. She sighs and tugs a strand of stray hair back behind her ear. It really doesn't do much good because as soon as she moves her head, the same strand of hair falls out again. As a writer, Rick makes it his job to notice things like that but today, he's focused on something completely different.

He's focused on her mouth.

Or, more notably, on her lips.

Rick watches as she grimaces, her brow furrowing slightly as she picks up a pen and scratches something off. Her pearly white teeth tug at her bottom lip, leaving a slight red patch before the pink tip of her tongue darts out briefly, licking it away.

It takes him a moment before he realizes that he's staring, slack-jawed, at her. Rick gathers his papers and brings them up to his face, effectively blocking his view of her. But, within seconds, he finds himself lowering the papers and stealthy peering over them, observing the way Kate continues to nibble on her bottom lip as she works.

Kate Beckett, Rick concludes, is a distraction.

But then again, he has always liked distractions.


	9. Yin and Yang

_A.N.:_ Because yin-yin is a name for a panda….

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_ix. yin and yang_

- -

**I. Yin.** _n.:_ The passive, negative, feminine force or principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.

"Castle, stay here. Don't move. This guy is dangerous, okay?"

Rick leaned out his window to look at Kate. "'Kay."

Kate nodded and joined the SWAT team as they started to make their way into the building. She turned and risked one last look over her shoulder. Rick was sitting quietly in the car, just like he said he would.

_Good._

- -

**II. Yang.** _n.:_ The active, positive, masculine force or principle in Chinese dualistic philosophy.

Two minutes later Kate was checking her surroundings when she felt it, somebody standing right next to her. She turned around.

"Castle!"

"Suuush!" Rick raised his fingers to his lips and grinned. "You have to be quiet in here."

"Castle…"

Angrily, Kate stepped out of the formation line and walked briskly over to the side, pulling Rick with her. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, her eyes flashing indigently. "You can get hurt."

"I was just-"

Rick broke off as he observed a flash of red to his right, out of the eye range of the SWAT team. "Holy crap," he swore to himself as he gestured with his chin. "Beckett, look."

- -

**III. Yin and Yang.** _n.:_ The two great opposite but complementary forces at work in the cosmos. The interplay of the two forces makes up _chi_, or the material principle governing the universe. Their balance is essential to harmony and health.

Montgomery walked over to where Rick and Kate sat in front of an ambulance, Rick holding his head in his hands.

"Hey."

Kate looked up. "Hi Chief."

"How's his eye?"

"Hurts," muttered Rick, mostly to himself. Montgomery saw a flash of white as Kate smiled and patted Rick's arm sympathetically. "I think he'll live," she added soothingly as she handed Rick another ice pack to put on his face.

"Well, good work. We got the guy and he's headed out with the Feds as we speak." Montgomery paused for a second before asking, "How'd you two know he was going to use the fire escape?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders and looked at Rick. "Just lucky I guess."

"Well, keep it up. You two make a good team."

"Thats what I keep telling her," said Rick as he pulled the ice pack off his face, his left eye turning a nice shade of black and blue. "There was no reason why she had to hit me."

"I didn't hit you. You're the one who got in my way. I was aiming at the guy."

"With my face?"

"You're the one that wouldn't stay in the car," rebuked Kate. "If anyone should be upset, it should be me."

_"You?_ If I had stayed in the car like you said, we wouldn't have......"

As the two of them began to bicker loudly, Montgomery shook his head and walked away. Somedays, he didn't even know why he tried.


	10. You

_A.N.: _I actually wasn't planning on updating today but one of my favorite things about writing fan fiction is that we authors have the unique ability to write in second person. I adore second person and don't get opportunity to write in it often, so this is where this little piece came from. Hopefully, you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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_x. you_

When he first tells you that he's going to be gone for a week –he's taking Alexis to visit some colleges on the West coast- your immediate thought is '_Yes'_. You know it sounds _awful_ but part of you is secretly relieved to have your pre-Nikki Heat life back. Even if it's only for a seven days.

At first, it's nice. You have forgotten what it feels like to be simply 'detective' and not 'detective plus writer'. It's nice to go into dangerous situations and not have the thought in the back of your mind that he's going to show up out of nowhere and get himself –or others- hurt. It's nice to talk to witnesses and not have him hovering over your shoulder in the background. It's nice to sit down at your desk after hours and not have his constant commentary on the day's events trailing in after you. It's nice to interrogate suspects without him sitting there, right beside you. You like it.

But then, somewhere around Wednesday –or Tuesday if you were completely honest with yourself-, you start to realize you miss him. You miss the way he used to greet you in the morning with a hot cup of coffee and Danish. You miss the way he used to stand in the background while you talk to the parents; simply stand there, just in case you needed his support or anything. You miss bouncing ideas and suggestions off of him; oftentimes it feels as if he is the only one around the precinct with the ability to think _outside_ the box. You miss his smart-assed comments in the car and you miss the way he used to watch you across the room as if he physically couldn't keep his eyes off you. You miss his over-the-top, childish excitement at receiving a new case and you even miss the way his eyes used to light up whenever he figured something out. But most of all, you miss _him_.

And because you are a woman who prides herself on not becoming too attached to anything, cases or men, that scares you more then any hot headed robber or dangerous criminal ever could.


	11. Defining moments

_A.N.: _Major spoilers for last night's episode, the season finale. Please don't read if you haven't watched it yet.

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_xi. defining moments_

There are moments in life that define a man. Moments which shape him. Moments which make him into the man he will become.

Rick Castle has not had that many moments in his lifetime. In fact, he can count on one hand how many significant, _earth shattering_ moments he has had. Two of them involve Alexis; the other two his character, Derek Storm. At his age, with all he's seen in life, he never thought he'd have another moment again. But then again, he'd never imagined meeting someone like Detective Kate Beckett.

So here he stood in a hospital hallway, ready to tell the one person in the world who was actually starting to trust him that he had done the only thing that she had specifically told him _not_ to do. It wasn't an easy decision but there are moments in life that define a woman as well. And despite everything, Rick Castle knows he owes it to Kate Beckett to give her that moment.

_"It's about your mother……"_


	12. Wants

_vii. wants_

He wants her. Not in the sense that he wants her as though he wants to push her against the wall and ravage her like crazy; though the thought has crossed his mind. Not that he'll ever admit it to her. No, he doesn't want her as much as he needs her; she's like a drug to him, with her crimson red hair and her vanilla scented body wash. It's more apparent to him now than ever - how that ever so melancholy yet happy feeling bubbles up inside of him when she smiles, how when she walks by his heart catches in his throat and his stomach churns. And now, watching her stand there next to Castle, Ryan and Esposito in front of her desk, he realizes just how bad he needs her.

Instinctively, his fists curl into balls in the pocket of his jacket. He knows this is all his fault, he knows he never should have left in the first place, he knows the only reason they are not together anymore is because of him. But knowing doesn't stop him from wanting. And if there is one thing that Will Sorenson wants in this world it is Kate Beckett.

He needs to find another job. A far far-away-from-here type of job. Because he doesn't know how much more of this he can take.

Kate is talking to Castle and even from this distance Will can hear the smile in her voice. She sounds happy, she looks happy and it even though he likes to see her happy; part of him hates it because he knows that he's no longer the one making her smile. No, the man now responsible for that smile is the tall, blue eyed writer with boyish good looks and charm that is currently leaning up against her desk and teasing her gently. Will continues to watch as Castle says something sarcastic to her, causing Kate to give him an affronted look but Will can make out the amusement dancing in her eyes.

It's at that moment that he realizes he's lost.

Will Sorenson still wants Kate Beckett.

But Kate Beckett no longer wants him.


	13. Lightening Bolts

_A.N.:_ Castle was renewed! Castle was renewed! ABC is not officially announcing it until Tuesday, but it's leaked here: http://www[dot]thrfeed[dot]com/2009/05/abc-renews-castle-orders-two-towns[dot]html

And because of that wonderful news, you all get a sappy, plot-less bit of Caskett fluff. Don't say I didn't warn you.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_xiii. lightening bolts_

Rick grabs her by the waist and swings her around, shouting excitedly over the loud noise level in the station, "We got him, Beckett! We got him!"

Kate bobs her head, a huge grin filling her face as she clings to his arms tighter. Her eyes are sparkling with happiness as she beams down at him. "I know, I know. We did good Castle. We. Did. Good."

"No, Beckett."

To her astonishment, Rick pauses midway in their twirl and begins to set her down. As Kate feels herself slowly return to the ground, his grip on her waist loosens as he begins to speak. "No, Beckett," Rick repeats, his eyes softening with pride, "_You_ did good."

They are standing so close together now that Kate can make out the tiny flecks of gold in his irises, she can see the slightest hint of stubble on his jaw, she can hear the sound of his breath whooshing in and out. It's then that it hits her like a bolt of lightening. _He's proud of her._

He -Richard Castle, famous international novelist, multi-millionaire- is proud of _her_, Kate Beckett. The words resound in her head again. _He's proud of her_.

Kate always assumed that cracking the biggest case of her career would be the highlight of her life. She always assumed that putting the perpetrator behind bars and throwing away the key would be the one thing that she could safely say was worth it; all the pain, all the late nights, all the caffeine, all the cases she _couldn't_ solve.

But he's staring at her, with a unique mixture of pride and excitement on his face and she wants to say something, _anything,_ but she's frozen to the spot. She never would have guessed that one of the happiest moments in her life would be the sight of Rick Castle staring at her in awestruck pride; as if she were the Mona Lisa and Wonder Woman all rolled into one.

But it is.


	14. Mothers and daughters

_xiv. mothers and daughters_

It was noon when Rick arrived, the sun at its highest, hot in the cloudless blue summer sky. He parked and got out, looking around at the quiet rolling slopes, the well-tended green grass and the white and gray headstones.

There wasn't much shade in the cemetery and Rick found himself carefully following Esposito's directions; walking quickly to reach the few places where taller monuments cast narrow shadows of relief from the heat. There had only been a few cars in the lot, and he didn't see anyone until he reached the top of the small artificial hill.

She was standing in the right spot, the fourth row, eighth over. He didn't want to startle her so didn't say anything at first, just quietly made his way over, slow and cautious, like he was laying an ambush. He reached her and she made no move that she registered his presence, instead she continued to stare quietly at the plain, nondescript headstone in front of her, the name, 'Johanna Beckett', carved out in big block letters and underneath, 'beloved wife and mother'.

For a awhile there was just silence between the two of them as they stared at the headstone. Then, "I don't remember her face."

Kate whispered so softly to herself that Rick almost missed it at first, the words moving away from him in the wind. He turned towards her, not surprised to see years of unwanted sadness and grief sketched on her face.

"I can't. I've tried to remember but I can't." Kate closed her eyes. "All I can see is her pictures from photographs, from old newspaper clippers. But I can't see her face as she used to be. I can't remember her smile or the way she used to laugh. All I can see is the one or two pictures I've memorized over the years, locked in my brain. But I can't see her face. I've tried...I've tried. But I can't remember anything except for those few photographs."

Kate opened her eyes and looked straight at him, the pain in her eyes cutting straight to Rick's heart. Her mouth twisted into a grim line as she added, "I'm afraid one of these days I'm going to forget those pictures as well."

"Hey."

Rick stepped closer and touched her shoulder, not clasping it but brushing it slightly. "You won't forget."

"How do you know?"

His expression was sincere as it met hers, "Because you won't let yourself."

Kate nodded but Rick didn't remove his hand. Instead, he continued to stand there with Kate in front of her mother's headstone, trying to connect the woman he knew from the case file to the woman Kate remembered as Mom.

"Why don't you tell me about her?"

Kate looked over at him in surprise. "Huh?"

"Your mother, why don't you tell me about her?"

There was silence for a long moment and then Kate said, "She hated to bake."

"Yeah?"

The corners of Kate's lips twitched as she recalled. "I remember once I had to bring in a tray of cupcakes for my fourth grade bake sale. And Mom wanted to go to the store and buy some but I convinced her to make them. Of course, it had been ages since we had any and we didn't even own cupcake trays….."

Rick let Kate's voice wash over him as she continued to talk. She told him about the time she wanted to be a dancer, and how her mom drove an hour into the city each day to take her to class. She told him about the time Bobby Ferguerson told her she had chicken legs, and how her mom almost got into a fistfight over it with his mother. The longer Kate talked, the more Rick was comforted to see the shadows recede from her face. So he said didn't say much of anything, just continued to stand there, his presence lending her strength and chasing away any unwanted demons fom her past.

Tomorrow he could deal with everything else, but today, today was just about Kate.


	15. Hurt

_A.N.:_ Seeing on how I have a total of three papers due between now and Friday, I needed something to make me laugh. So I wrote this. Hopefully, my sense of humor stretches across the board and you all will find this just as amusing as I did.

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_xv. hurt_

The expression on his face was intense.

"You lied to me," he accused.

"I didn't," she replied calmly

"You lied to me," he repeated.

"Castle, I –"

"You lied to me, Beckett."

"I didn't lie."

"You hurt me."

She sighed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," she said seriously.

"But you did."

"Castle…"

"No, don't even try to apologize, it won't help."

"I wasn't going to apologize." His mouth formed a expression of shock as she continued speaking, "It couldn't have hurt that much, I mean, it was only a tiny piece of wood."

"It was a _huge_ piece of wood."

"Castle, it was a tiny splinter. A tiny, little splinter," At his look she added, "But if it was so _huge_ then you should have expected it to hurt."

"I expected you to be _gentle_," he said in an injured tone.

"I _was_ gentle."

"No, you were being sadistic; I saw the evil gleam in your eyes."

"You're being ridiculous."

"It hurt!"

"Don't be such a baby." She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "Now, since the _huge_ piece of wood is gone, is there anything else you need?" she said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"Yes."

"What?"

He held out his finger. "A kiss."

"Castle!!"

His mouth stretched into a mirthful grin as he deadpanned, "Hey, you asked."


End file.
